Nonspill vent plug



Patented Joo.14, 1936 2,023,113 NoNsPm.' VENT PLUG Joseph Lester Woodbridge. Philadelphia, ro., oosignor to The Electric Storage Battery Co., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of New Jersey Appli'oscion september 27,1933, sommo. 691,149 Y 7 Claims. '(Cl. 13G- 178) The subject of my invention is a non-spill vent plug for containers. of iiuids which evolve gas,

especially electric storage batteries.

plug permits the escape of gas but closes to prevent the escape of liquid if the container is tilted or upset.

The present invention is` an improvement upon Y the device shown in my prior Patent No. 1,942,630,

1 `tween the valve and the weight to move the valve tion of the cell.

granted January 9, 1934.

Among the improved featuresv ofmy present device are the following: 1. The downwardly projecting conical portion oi? the valve which is supported by and seats in a larger conical depression in the upper face of the weight. f' 2. The pin on the weight which passes loosely through and forms al lost motion connection betOWrd 09er! Position and normally hold the valve in open position.

3. 'Ihe arrangement whereby the valve seat -is clamped between two portions of the body of the vent plug.

A 4. I'he guide meansrfor `the valve on the valve' seat. 1

5. The flexible or softrubber Iwasher between ythe valve and the -valve seat.

6. The perforations `through the valve behind the washen c My'inventlon includes in general and with all the advantages inherent therein the device more specically illustrated in the annexed specifica.-

tion and drawing, to which reference is here. made, and which will be hereinafter pointed out or will be apparent and which will finally be claimed.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-section of my device and a portion of the cooperating parts of a storage battery; and

Fig. 2 is a viewi similar to Fig. 1 showing tie device in tilted position.

In the drawing I represents a hollow vent plug screwed into the opening of thel cover 2- of a stor age battery cell. The-balance of the cell forms no part of this invention and is only' partially shown for purposes of illustration. The vent plug I, as here shown, is cylindrical in shape, having a cavity 3 provided with an annular seatl near its lower end and an inwardly projecting ledge '28 at or adjacent the bottom of the cavity, the circular opening 6 providing communication between the interior of the vent plug andthe upper por- On the seat or shoulder I rests a disk-like member 5 which is clamped firmly to the seat 4 by the downwardly extending cylindricalskirt 1 of the cap 8 which is screwed into the top of the vent plug I.. [I'he cap l has a' downwardly projecting vent duct 9, permitting gas to escape from the cell into the air but providing a space I0 to retain and prevent the escape ofany n l This vent liquid which may be in the vent plug, when the cell is tilted into an inverted position. i

The disk member 5 is provided with a central opening I I, surrounding which, on the lower surface of the disk 5,- isa lip I2 which forms a valve seat. The disk 5 is also provided with an upwardly `projecting portion I3, having a central opening I4 which serves as a guide for the stem l5 of the valve described below. The structure I3 has openings I6 connecting thefinterior of the 10.

vent plug with the passage I I to permit any liquid in the space 3 to drain back'into the cellwhen the latter is in its upright position.

A weight or weighted member I'I is shown having an annular projection or lip I8 normally rest- 15 ing on the ledge 28, this ledge being provided with an `,upwardly projectingannular lip 2 1. to i prevent lateral motion of the weighted memberV I1 when tilted. Openings I9 are shown between the lip ls and the body or the weighted member 20 to permit liquid to drain back into the cell. The upper surface of the weighted member' I1 is. formed as a conical cavity with its apex at' 20,this apex being located slightly belowthe plane of the lip I8. In this apex the conical point of the 25 valve 2i is supported.4 'Ihe valve 2| may be made of any suitable acid resistant material such as hard rubber or lead alloy and on its upper surface rests the soft rubber disk 22,l adapted when the valve is in its closed position to seat against the lip I2 and thereby close the' passage I I. As already noted, the valve has an upwardly projecting stem I5 which is guided in the opening I4 of the disk 5. 'I'he valve has a horizontal opening 23 through its stem, through which passes a pin 24 35 attached at its 'outer ends to the projections 25 of the weighted member I l. 'I'his pin may be made of lead antimony alloy resting innotches of the projections 25 and Bsoldered thereto. I'he valve 2i -has vvertical openings 26 extending from 4 the under surface of the valve to the under surface of the soft rubber -disk 22. 'Ihe purpose o1' thesevopenings will be later explained.

. 'The operation of this vent plug will now be described. When thel cell is in its normal up- 45 right position the parts will be, located as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing and the-,valve will be open,providing free exit for any gas which may be developed in'the cell through the openings Il,

the opening I I, the openings `I6 and the vent tube 50 8. If the c'ell is tilted' from'the horizontal post.- tion the weighted member I'I will rotate about a point of contact between the lip I8 and the ledge 28, and the apex 20 of the cavity in its upper surface -will' move about such point of contact as a 55 center in a nearly axial line, pushing the valve 2 I up until the rubber disk 22 seats on the lip I2,

,thus closing the orince II and preventing the escape of liquid fro l m the cell. If the cell remains in this position for any-appreciable lensth ot time,

especially while gas is developed in the cell by charging current or by local action, a certain amount of pressure will be developed in the cell which will tend to hold the valve in its closed position after the cell is returned to its upright position. When this occurs, however, the pin 24 will bear upon the lower surface of the opening 23 and the weight of the element Il will exert additional force to open the valve. Should the pressure be suicient to support the weight of the element I1 under these conditions and additional pressure be developed by the gas in the cell, a

'point will nally be reached when the pressure of this gas exerted on the under side of the rubber disk 22 through the openings 26 will lift this disk from its seat by causingrthat portion of the disk between lip l2 and pin I5 to ex upward and thus allow the gas to escape around the base of the pin l5. The gas pressure being thus relieved, the valve will be opened by the weight I1.

I do not intend to be limited save as the scope of the prior art and of the attached claims may require.

I claim:

1. A vent plug for a container of uids which evolve gas, said plug including, in combination, a body having a cavity therein and an inlet and an outlet therein connecting with said cavity, a valve seat in said cavity between said inlet and said outlet, a ledge on said body forming a s upport, a valve co-operating with said valve seat f and having a downwardly projecting portion,

and a weight having an edge normally supported on said ledge and capable of tilting movement on said ledge at the lateral wall of said cavity and having a cavity to receive said downwardly projecting portion of said valve therein, the engagement between said valve and said weight being at a surface of limited area just beneath the plane of said ledge so that tilting movement of saidweight closes said valve on said seat.

2. A vent plug for a container of fluids which evolve gas, said plug including, in combination, a body having a cavity therein and an inlet and an outlet therein connecting with said cavity, a valve seat in said cavity between said inlet and said outlet, a ledge on said body forming a support, a valve cooperating with said valve seat and having a downwardly projecting conical por tion, and a weight having a portion normally supported on said ledge and having a conical depression in its upper surface of larger size than the conical portion of said valve to receive the conical portion of said valve therein and thereby normally to support said valve and, upon tilting movement, to close said valve.

3. A vent plug for a container of fluids which evolve gas, said plug including, in combination, a body having a cavity therein and an inlet and an outlet therein connecting with said cavity, a valve seat in said cavity between said inlet yand said outlet, a ledge on said body forming a suppOlt, a valve cooperating with said valve seat and having a downwardly projecting conical portion, a weight having a portion normally supported on said ledge and having a conical depression in its upper surface of larger size than the conical portion of said valve to receive the conical portion of said valve therein and thereby normally to support said valve and, upon tilting movement,

' to close said valve, and means on said weight for moving toward and normally holding said valve in open position.

4. A vent plug for a container of fluids which evolve gas, said plug including, in combination, a bodyhaving a cavity therein and an inlet and an outlet therein connecting with said cavity, a valve seat in said cavity between said inlet and said outlet, a ledge on said body forming a support, a valve cooperating with said valve seat and having a downwardly projecting conical portion,

a weight having a portion normally supported on said ledge and having a conical depression in its upper surface of larger size than the conical portion of said valve to receive the conical portion of said valve therein and thereby normally to support said valve and, upon tilting movement, to close said valve, a flexible washer between said valve and said valve seat, and perforations in said valve in contact with and on the opposite side of said washer from said valve seat.

5. A vent plug for a container of fluids which evolve gas, said plug including, in combination, a body having a cavity therein and an inlet and an outlet therein connecting with said cavity, a valve seat in said cavity between said inlet and said outlt, a ledge on said body forming a support, a valve cooperating with said valve seat and having a downwardly projecting conical portion, a weight having a portion normally supported on said ledge and having a conical depression in its upper surface of larger size than the conical portion of said valve to receive the conical portion of said valve therein and thereby normally to support said valve and, upon tilting movement, to close said valve, and means adjacent said valve seat for guiding said valve.

6. A vent plug for a container of fluids which evolve gas, said plug including, in combination, a body having a cavity therein and an inlet and an outlet therein connecting with said cavity, a valve seat in said cavity between said inlet and said outlet, a ledge on said body forming a support, a valve cooperating with said valve seat and having a downwardly projecting conical portion, a weight having a portion normally supported on said ledge and having a conical depression in its upper surface of larger size than the conical portion of said valve to receive the conical portion of said valve therein and thereby normally to support said valve and, upon tilting movement, to close said valve, and a pin on said weight passing loosely through an opening in said valve for moving toward and normally holding said valve in open position.

'7. In a non-spill vent plug for a closed container containing liquid, a valve seat dening an orice opening from the vent plug into the container, an annular supporting ledge below the the valve seat, a weighted member having an annular lip adapted to be supported from said ledge and having a cavity in its upper surface with an apex in the bottom of said cavity, and a valve member adapted to be supported by said weighted member beneath and normally out of contact with the valve seat and adapted to be brought into contact therewith by the rocking of the weighted member on the supporting ledge caused by the tilting of the container, the supporting contact between the weighted member and the valve member being in the form of a pin projecting from the valve member and resting at the apex of the cavity in the weighted member, said contact being located just beneath the plane of said annular lip.

JOSEPH LESTER WOODBRIDGE. 

